Nothing much happened yesterday, the first of 2 sea days except sleeping in (no tours to run off to) and lazing by the pool. It was quite hot…. even if the morning started out cool. Got a slight burn in between dips in the pool.

Last night we were to enter the Kiel Canal…..supposedly at 2 am but who knows. I wasn’t awake. This captain is always ahead of schedule so it was probably earlier. We arrived at our exit point at the Elbe River at 9:30 am not noon as planned.

In the other lock we watched as they managed to get 2 larger vessels and 3 smaller ones.

This Kiel Canal (Kiel is the name of the town on the Baltic), was previously named Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal after William II of Germany. It was completed in 1895 to avoid the long journey around Denmark. Apparently it is the most used canal in the world according to Wikipedia but I had never even heard of it before.

As we were to exit into the Elbe River (Hamburg is further upstream in Germany), the managed to cram 2 larger and 3 smaller freight carrying ships into the lock opposite us.

The canal is 61 miles (98kms) long and saves nearly 250 nautical miles by avoiding the typically rough seas of the North Sea around Denmark’s Jutland peninsula.

Larger vessels than our “little” ship, cannot use the canal because they cannot clear the bridges.

Highlights of Tallinn is our tour today. It’s cloudy but supposed to go up to 26C.

Margaret Tower was the last built. It is 5 meters thick. Bastion built by Swedes. It is now surrounded by green belt.

400 kms to St Petersburg from centre of medieval of Tallinn to. “Vitu” Square. It also refers to the language and people. Peter the Great called this area Catherine’s valley. Any of the old houses of any period is not allowed to be altered.

Estonia is 45,000 kms in size….about the same size as Denmark. Only 1.3 million population in the whole country. They have never had royal hierarchy.

There is no written document previous to 1300ad when they were invaded by Danes. Some years later the country was sold for 700 kgs of gold. In 1600s they were conquered by Sweden. Then Danes, then Poland.

Great Northern War late in 17century by Peter the Great. Back then Russia did not have a sea port so no navy. 1703 was the beginning of St. Petersburg. The country was under siege by Russians but plague made them give up. Peter purchased land that had a hunting lodge on the grounds. He then built another bigger “cottage”. The pink building is the office of president….Not his residence. Independence was gained after Versailles…20 years between wars.

Palace built by Peter the great 1800’s is first stop.

Palace of Peter.. “small” a summer cottage. He met his love named Martha at the time… was a maid cleaning the windows. She became Catherine I. In 1725 Peter died and she ruled for 1 year. She was a straight shooter….said things as they were. Their children were born out of wedlock. Elizabeth their daughter come on the throne 15 years after Catherine’s death. His first wife was sent to a convent. Catherine I converted to orthodox. Her name was changed from Martha, on her marriage to Peter.

Estonia became member of NATO in 2004.

Russification by Tsar Alexander III. … people had to learned in Russian language, etc. 95% of language etc was safe up until then.

34,000 sang together … love songs. There was a reawakening in mid 1990s at culture song festival centre. 1988 Gorbachev made it easier. With the 1991 coupe in Russia, Estonia also said they wanted out.

Homes built during Russian era look like the “Wall of China”. 900% inflation rate after Russia. Russian built apartments given based on years of service to Russia with no payment. 24% Russian speaking are still not citizens. No Schengen visas are given to Russian tourists since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine..

Bridgedine Convent was started during the 100 year war when “Bridgette” travelling to Rome to get certified by the pope. It was then that she saw all the starvation so pleaded politicians to fix it. Both male monks and female nuns in the convents but headed only by women . She was instrumental in making prostitution legal but if you pay for a prostitute is a crime brought by on board by Bridgette. The convent was used only for 150 years after 15th century.

Russian destroyed all monuments from previous eras. 25,000 people were sent to Siberia for resisting after 1940. German occupation was for 3 years 1941-44. The Forest boys, that had escaped during Russians take over were hunted down til the 60s. They used families to get back the forest boys.

The IT sector developed first as means of crawling out bad period after Russia.

Timber exporting is big in the is country. Agriculture(rye) and dairy too.

Vitu gates… centre Wall is 1.8 kms long. All houses are authentic to their own period. The stone on the outside walls of the church used to be flooring inside the gothic church… were moved out in 19 th c.

Most of the buildings in the old town were built in 13, 14 & 15th centuries during the Hanseatic period

Tallinn was German town before Russia. It was until 1925 that the name became Tallinn.

Church is actually town hall….. medieval 1530… dragons are medieval. Education basis of Christianity according Lutheran. Lutheran church was town hall ..,,,poor peoples hospital.

Gate… this one of 2 gates called “long leg gate” cuz you needed take long strides to get up it.. Other was a staircase so called “short leg gate”.

Mid 19c was the last time suburbs were burned down when attacked in a war. Suburb homes were made of wood and no stone. Inside the town they had to be built of stone and no wood.

Today we are doing the Helsinki harbour cruise.

Population of city is 600,000 with total of 5.5 in Finland

Biggest Orthodox Church on Finland…across from our ship

20-22C today but no rain. May 17/22 Finland sent papers to join NATO. Only Turkey has not applied. They share a 3100 kms border with Russia so as the guide said “Its good to be a little awake”.

Yellow building is presidential palace. It looks like there is a cool market on the pier across from it. As we head out into the harbour guide points out where they have lively music in building on left in the summer. Sauna is only know Finnish word outside Finland. Out of that 5.5 million population there are here 10 M saunas. In this country they believe that political problems can be solved by sitting stark native in a sauna to discuss things.

It cost out in the country 1500 euros/square meter for a home but 9500euro/ in this area along the shore. There are 180,000 islands in Finland. Like Sweden, the islands keeping popping up cause by the earth is rising now that the glaciers are receding and the land isn’t being pushed down.

Click on each of the picture to see a much bigger and better picture

The tables on the docks are used for cleaning their carpets once a year. Then they leave them hang to dry while they go to the outside bars for a glass of week. Everyone gets 5 weeks of holidays every year.

188,000 lakes caused by glaciers. The Baltic is quite shallow …. Only 92 meters deep at most. Not very salty because it is fed by rivers. Only salt water comes in through channel between Denmark and Norway.

Ships that sail into city centre cannot be longer than 200 metres. There are 300 islands in Helsinki.

It cost 90 barrels of gold to build fortress….. 5 islands connected by bridges….that was never completed.

Kings gate at fortress. The Passage in front of us is only 80 meter wide and not very deep. That is why this little ship and a couple of the ferries that go out of here (because they are less than 200 feet in length.

In 1822 Russia attacked Finland … captured it because they could attack by marching over the ice. The church on the fortress was originally Russian orthodox but changed to Protestant Lutheran in 1917 when Finland gained independence.

High divorce rate. There is a lot of changing of partners so when the teacher asked a child what was family, he said it was bunch of people that all eat from the same refrigerator.

Last week they had snow here in Helsinki. In Lapland in the winter goes to -50 C.

So expensive to live here that mothers go back to work after 1 month even though they have 1 year maternity with pay. Both parents share maternity leave. The children get free meals at kindergarten. Books are expensive but university is free. Baby box is given to all new parents. Snowsuit are included because babies nap outdoors in pram. Foreign students have to pay for courses in English but not those in Finnish.

One new development being built will be home to 20,000 people.

Forestry used to be number one industry but not now. Surnames are named after things in nature like animals or birds including lynx or woodpecker.

Icebreakers manufactured here are sold to Norway and Canada. “Kontio” on icebreaker is pet name for bears. Bears are the national animal. There is a zoo on the island across from this.

Average wage 3500 euro income….3800 men, 3100 women/ month. Progressive taxes depending on amount you make.

Retirement age is rising to 65 but must retire by 68. Everyone is entitled to old age home at a cost of 85% of pension.

Sviarika is the name of the country in Swedish. More than 50% of the country is forested. Concert hall is only 1/3 above ground to be more in tune with nature. Ambassadors row ….US ambassador’s residency. first, British, Korean, etc. all along the waterfront.

Vasa museum opened 1990.
Royal dramatic theatre with brass sculptures.
We pointed out the bank where Stockholm a syndrome came from. There are 100 subway stations.
Lake is 3 feet higher than Baltic Sea divided by bridge which we drove over and a lock. Earth is rising in Sweden 100 feet every 100 years since the ice age so every 100 years they have to redo the lock. There are 14 inhabited islands that make up Stockholm.
Looking at Baltic with royal hunting island across, old city on left.
Swedes are not opposed to buying secondhand. Liquor stores are government run only.
1/3 parks, 1/3 water and rest for buildings.
The fortunes of Alfred Nobel -the richest man in world at the time. When he died all his wealth (except 6?% to relatives) were invested and have been distributed ever since each year as the Nobel Prize.
I/3 of population left to go to North American after the war for economic reasons so housing is promised to everyone. After getting put on the list, you could wait 15-20 years.

Vasa ship raised in 1960-1 but the museum that was build to house it opened in 1990. The Vasa was 225 ft in length. It sank in 1628. When it sunk the masts showed above water because the water wasn’t very deep. They were ordered to cut off the masts so as to not show the disaster and admit mistake. The reason it sunk was that it was top heavy with not enough ballast. Cannon holes were too low…. too close to water line plus they forgot to shut the doors to cannons. 400 on board but 1/3 perished ??? They have recovered a number of skeletons. The ship was so well preserved because the salinity level was only 1.2%. It was the 1st double decker ship ever built.

1967 changed from left to right hand traffic. That was when they took out tracks for the trolley except for the island where Vasa is, old town and hunting park.
Walked through the old city, had a beer now off to Sigtuna.
Apparently there were homes with a flame above the door. That would indicated that you had fire insurance and so the fire department fight the fire. Otherwise they would let it burn. 480 day paid time off for the birth of a baby. $US 130 paid per month to parents from birth to 18. No property Taxes

Sigtuna…..
Runes of Viking age and before. First capital of Sweden …..from 10th Century. Ruins of St Olafs church built
1100’s but what we see of the illage is all built in 16 &1700’s. Sweden was neutral during the war but was forced to sell iron and allow the use of their soil to Germany.
There are 400,000 moose in the country …too many so they try to keep it down to 300,000 so they kill 100,000 every year.
Less than 8% go to church, 2nd highest birth rate after Ireland… in Europe

Again…will send pictures later…. Off to Helsinki today.

Today we do a tour of City Hall and Lake Maelaren and then meeting up with two ladies we have met on previous trips.
Before arriving in port the area we travel through is dotted with an amazing number of island. It kind of reminds me of the Gulf Islands in BC or Portage Inlet but way more so. And there are cabins dotted all along the shoreline…. Very nice! I wasn’t expecting that. It must be “fun” for big ships to navigate these waters! And then there is drizzle!

The ship Vasa was built in 1622-28 …lasted 20 minutes before it sunk. But preserved because very low salt content of the water. It had 2 canon stacks which made it too heavy and not enough ballast. There are 40 islands & 60 bridges in Stockholm.
Iron is a major mineral near Lake Maelaren…..it has been exported since the Middle Ages.
It costs 100,000 euro per square meter for an apartment here.

City Hall … wow 1911-1923 Built in National Romanticist style….. inspired by Italian renaissance. It is mainly a political centre for the city but 1330 people can be served in main banquet (blue room that isn’t blue at all) hall for Nobel prizes. All local building materials are used in the building. Then up the low-rise stairs to the golden room. They are low so that the women can walk in high heels. When coming down you keep your eye on the star on the wall so that you walk gracefully down.

There are 4 islands to Old Town.
The rule of succession changed in late 20st century to oldest child instead of male heir.

Cruise of Lake Maelaren started near maritime museum, is beautiful natural like grounds. Nice houses for ambassadors and embassies but also rich people. Nothing new can be built now there. The Royal City Park was hunting grounds for the royals during the Middle Ages. Now the city park is used by more people than anywhere else in Stockholm. In 1912 rowing competitions were held here. It is a bird watching area.
You can see the old corn mill and on the other side there was once a blind and deaf school. There are massive amounts of apartments across from the school. Huge building on left is a retirement home. It looks like a palace. Fortress to right. “Old Town” from 1600’s, the water level was higher. Some are leaning 60-129 cms. Their is a difference in elevation between the lake and Baltic so in between there is a lock.

Ginkgo trees on the street we were driving on were planted to improve the air quality.
Olaf Palma prime minister was assassinated in 1986 coming from a cinema with his wife. It was never solved but closed because they believe the perpetrator is dead.
In 1523, Sweden gained independence from Denmark and 4 years later became Protestant.
1916 Olympics held here the building is the oldest standing Olympic stadium. … built in the romanticism style of city hall.

After returning from the tour, we meet up with the two ladies and one’s husband. We went back downtown to Old Town again but got a closer look. It is amazing. We had a wonderful time re-connecting . They treated us to dinner and drinks. And then successful got us back to the ship.

Having difficulty posting pictures so will try later….

It’s going to be a lovely day with sunshine and a high of 27C. Presently it’s very misty. Coming into port there is lots of reclamation going on and wind turbines out in the water. OMG it quite a huge city built on canals like in Venice but just a little newer… lol! I am sure that is all reclaimed land.

Apparently the weather here is like ours at home…. Upside down with cold one day and next day hot like today at close to 30 C. Winters are not quite as cold as it once was.

Across from where we are moored is a very interesting faculty. I have copied something you might be interested in. — “The intersection of winter athletics, sustainability and hygge (that Danish quality of coziness) has birthed a new travel destination, and it opened to the public on October 4.

CopenHill, also known as Amager Bakke, is a Copenhagen-based heat and waste-to-power plant designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group and built in 2017. It’s also a place where people go to have fun, and it has launched its newest attraction: an artificial ski and snowboard slope”.

First stop on tour is the Little Mermaid erected in 1913, has quite the story created by Hans Christian Andersen. It is beautiful but much smaller than imagined. Climbing down the rocks to have a picture taken was quite treacherous… very slippery. Maersk shipping co. took the Little Mermaid to the Shanghai Expo in 2010. Top of it was modelled by a ballerina but bottom model because the ballerina would not sit for that portion, was the artist’s wife. It is considered it a love monument because of the story behind it that was created by Hans Christian Andersen.

It was pointed out that the low-rise yellow flats built by King Christian IV in 1660 for mariners partly because during the Middle Ages 1626-1726 there was 3 meters of dirt in the street so he built them to keep the mariners healthy.

Hygge… means rest for the soul.

Next stop….Queen Margarethe II residence (castle) called Amelienborg. While we were there someone from our group got yelled at by guard for being within 2 meters of building. It was built in the Baroque style. It is comprised of 4 residence buildings plus museum. Flags indicate if any are in residence. None were today.

Statue of the king on horseback facing the church was facing the church to show his power came from God. Church called “marble church” from Greenland.

The queen was born in 1940… makes much of her own clothes, actually is quite an acclaimed artist. She is also a chain smoker. After much flack she has agreed to not smoke in public…. not quit. She is very respected and loved mostly because she does not hold herself above anyone else. Denmark has the oldest flag in world. The crown prince is married to lady from Tasmania.

Christiansborg’s Palace built in 1164 ad, the original royal residence… installed toilets in 18th or 19th century but the waste was dumped into moat that surrounded the palace so it smelled badly. In 1753 there was afire at Christiansborgs so the royals changed residence to Ameliasborg.

There is approximately 35% of commuters using bicycles but government would like it to be 50%.

We went past Trivoli gardens. It has the oldest rollercoaster in world.

Christiania is a free state … communes of old hippies but became drug trading area. It has a population of 900 with 350 children. They gave free concerts on Sundays. It has more visitors than Trivoli gardens so police choose to allow it to continue. It was from here that a bike with basket in front for children and groceries was developed, costs about 12,000 Kroners ($2100 CAD). Children went to school outside commune cuz instructors were so high they couldn’t even remember their own names… lol.

Next we are to drive from Denmark to Sweden on the Oresund Bridge a bridge/tunnel system was opened in 2000AD. The tunnel is 3.5 kms long. Because it is near Kastrup airport they could not have anything high near it (like a bridge). Then there is an artificial island that is 4 kms long called Pepper Island and natural island next to is called Salt Island where there are now 400 species of plants … some from seed from 1000 kms away, birds and rabbits (some people must have dropped them off cuz rabbits can’t swim…lol). Then a 8 km bridge. Toll gates are only on the Sweden side but share the take. By 2050 they figure it will be paid for.

With the tunnel, concrete elements were built on land and then placed on seabed with 10 meters of water above. Ships that cannot pass under 56 meter bridge have to go over top of this tunnel.

Wind turbines are being invested in as an alternative power supply because there are no rivers for hydro power. They are also looking for alternative power supply since Putin has invaded Ukraine.

Now you are allowed to import 50 bottles of alcohol into Sweden but it must it be for personal use only. As you approach Sweden there is a checkpoint that they used to check for immigrants sneaking in, predominantly from Syria but now they check for smuggled alcohol. It is cheaper to live in Sweden than Denmark and so lots of commuters actually live in Sweden. It is a 20 minute train commute to the airport in Denmark where many work.

On the Swedish side to go to Malmo that “Mal” means sand and “mo” means lots of. There is no natural harbour so they dredged and made beaches with all the sand.

In Malmo, they built in 2005, a very strange looking building called Turning Tower. It is made up of 9 cubes pre-fabricated and then erected, has an echo skeleton and will only move a maximum of 30 cms in a tornado or hurricane. The guide said with things like this that mankind can build why do they have to have wars. So I suggested like what Putin has done, he must be very insecure that he has to attack other countries. He has small man syndrome. She then said that he was like Hitler in that he had a problem of a small “dick”….lol!

Castle near we stopped for lunch was built in 1434

Lilleborg meaning “little square”. That is where we stopped to have lunch.. lunch for 2 very small pieces of fish with chips and a beer cost $37.50 CAD….ouch!

Malmo seems to be built on canals like Copenhagen. There is 340,000 population in Malmo…. Lots of immigrants 50% of inhabitants have some relatives that are immigrants. 170,000 out of the 10 million Swedish population were immigrant asylum seekers. A lot of immigrant children are involved in the selling of drugs and because of that, killings. 48 have died so far this year by shootings involving drug gangs.

Then we head to Lund. The area around Lund, is the best soil in Sweden providing 50% of agricultural needs of country in what is called “Skane”.

The Tetra-pak originated here in Lund, Sweden.

We stopped at what was a Catholic Church originally but now is Lutheran … was built in 1145 in the Romanesque style. It originally had flat ceiling but now arches inside. There are 90,000 parishioners that attend it. Crypt means hidden so is in basement. In 1398AD the main altar built.

2nd day Copenhagen-Christiansborg Palace and the Tripoli Gardens

The Royal yacht is in harbour, where we stopped again to see the little Mermaid. To the left is a tower guardhouse of King Christian VI, then naval building…….then the “ski hill” that you can rock climbing. It is actually a garbage burning facility.

300 miles of bike lanes in C. This guide says that 50% of people use bicycles to get around

It took 100 years to build the church at Ameliensborg… at the royal residence. They started to build it using Danish marble but that was too expensive….and so it say unfinished for most of that time. To finish it they sandstone.

1167 was the beginning of a palace or residence at Christiansborg Palace. It was finished 1907. It is used for the Supreme court, Parliament and reception rooms of the Queen. Smaller receptions held in the first hall we see. In a 1884 fire, pictures were rescued and put in the replaced palace. There is seating for 60 in the dining room. It took 1 year to produce 1 square meter of tapestry in the great hall. (Holds 400 people). It took ten years to complete all the 17 murals. Velvet room is used as reception room not necessarily very important political people.

Danish fishermen smuggled Jews out to Sweden. Many died in the seas.

Spiral tower.. trade centre started by Christian IV

Next we go to Trivoli Gardens. 1843…2nd oldest gardens in the country.

100,000 people use train system

I am having a lot of trouble downloading….will send more later. If you click on the little pictures they should enlarge

The tour today is a walk through old Kristiansand and old cannon. There was a minor wrinkle this morning. There is no room for us at the piers so we are being tendered in. The seas are calm so it will be easy unlike one we took previously in Punta Del Este, Uruguay. The high today will be 21C under cloudy skies…. not bad.

Norway has the 2nd longest coastline after Canada.

Theatre opera house on the pier.

Poorer people lived in the old part (Posebyen) section with the wealthy nearer to the water. Apparently the insides of these buildings are modern even if they are old on exterior. All harbours in Norway are ice free. Homes built on the west coast have horizontal planking and those on the east coast are vertical. It has to do with the climate and rain. White paint shows more wealth. Sign on outside says wet paint and thing on left of is m so fire department can get in if a fire without you not necessarily being home. We have that at home but only on apartment/condo buildings.

Named Kristiansand after King Christian IV is built on sand. Pop. Of 115,000… half own a 20-30 ft boat. In 1893 there was a fire that destroyed a big portion of the city and so anything built after that is concrete or brick. 80% of the people own their own home/house. 80% of new vehicles purchased are electric.

Bigger door is used as main door including for animals.

All homes have a device on exterior in order to give access to nurses to keep everyone in own home as they age. On average those that go into care homes only last less than a year because they are beyond keeping at home by that time. All medications are paid for incl. diabetes meds etc.

Norway is a very strict gun control….. even police who have to ask permission to take a gun out that is locked somewhere in the police car. Otherwise the police do not carry. Having guns by police has only happened since there was an attack in Oslo a while ago.

The tower in old city centre is of a firehouse tower used for hanging hoses … pretty elaborate for that.

The spire on the cathedral is 70 meter high but because of the sand they had to build 70 meters below in order to make it secure. The old town square was dug up so there is parking garage underground.

Nickel refinery….99.99% pure. Underground tunnel underneath the sea that is 3 kms long. Norway is into windmill production but they prefer to install them far out in North Sea.

The Krupp co. of Germany manufacture submarines but are tested here because of the depth of the ocean which they don’t have in Germany

Next we go to the old cannon museum. These were built by the Germans. It is kept to show the children how bad war can be. The tracts that we see are used for munitions delivery. There were 4 cannons. The biggest was the 2nd largest in the world. It was built for the future ….was never shot at the enemy but was only used for practice. This cannon at Kristiansand had bullets that could travel 50+kms and another in Denmark that would travel the same distance. The area in between had mines suspended just below the surface of the water. This way they could control the marine traffic to and from the Baltic. Built by Germans, Danish and Norwegian contractors and Russian prisoners of war. They changed the paint colours for different seasons. The 330 ton gun only needs 2.5 minutes to do a full 360 degree turn. Norway was invaded by Germany from 1940 til 1944.

The bus driver had to blow into a device before driving the vehicle. If he has had anything to drink, the bus will not start.